Spring
by EmotionalRockfish
Summary: It's spring and the village hidden in the sand is holding their annual spring dance in honour of the season. So it's a no brainer that the leaf ninja's who's almost as youthful as spring itself, Rock Lee, is chosen to attend alongside the Hokage her soon to be successor. But what will happen when the Kazekage takes a seemingly sudden interest in the taijutsu master? [LeeGaa/GaaLee]
1. The Arrival

**~Spring~**

**By EmotionalRockfish**

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**-Story Details-**

**Description:** It's spring and the village hidden in the sand is holding their annual spring dance in honour of the season. So it's a no brainer that the leaf ninja's who's almost as youthful as spring itself, Rock Lee, is chosen to attend alongside the Hokage her soon to be successor. But what will happen when the Kazekage takes a seemingly sudden interest in the taijutsu master?  
**Pairings:** LeeGaa/GaaLee  
**Disclaimer:** The characters that appear in my writing are the intellectual property of their respective owners, and in no way belong to me. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction.  
**Story Rating:** Mature 18+ (NC-17, R)  
**Warnings:** Explicit Content, such as sex and sexual themes. Includes or includes mentions of homosexual relationships. See individual chapters.

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**-Chapter 1: The Arrival-**

**Chapter Rating:** G  
**Published:** 22nd June 2014  
**Last Updated:** -

Author's Comments: I've been working on this fan fiction for a _long_ time now. It was originally meant to be just a one-shot and I had written it as such, but it developed into a novel-length monster that's taken up all my time. As a result I've split it into chapters. Chapters will be released as I edit them to fit the new style and at this point I haven't finished the whole story yet either. This chapter is rather short as it's more an introduction than anything else.

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Spring.

As Lee trails behind the Hokage, through the maze of twisting hallways that belong to the Sunagakure Administrative Building, that's what's on his mind.

Such a stunningly vibrant season, filled with so many magnificent wonders. The very essence of youth itself! A time of new life, joy, and tremendous delight; of blooming flowers and fresh grass. Though as quickly as a breath on glass, it fades, as even youth itself must. Unlike a person's youth however, spring comes about every year, and it never truly disappears.

And that is why Lee considers spring to be important. **Very** important. So much so that the Handsome Green Beast considers the season to be his favourite time of the year, and while he says that about everything, this time he is serious.

Yes, Lee adores spring with his entire being, his eager heart cherishing such a youthful season with all the passion it can muster.

Second to his precious Sakura-chan, of course!

Lee could never love anything as much as he does his darling cherry blossom, but the feelings he holds are similar, and in a way even his cherished Kunoichi is a part of spring. Such a cute girl with hair the hue of blooming cherry blossoms, and Lee guesses that is why he loves her so.

The spandex clad ninja's devotion is nothing new. Not at all! Everyone in the leaf village knows just how much he and his sensei worship spring. From the moment the first spring flower blooms, bright grins are plastered on their faces, and their youthful speeches seemingly get longer and more frequent, if that is even possible.

That being said, it makes perfect sense that the fifth Hokage would select Lee to accompany her to the annual Sunagakure Spring Festival, given his appreciation for the season.

In fact, he has been assigned as her bodyguard, along with Naruto-kun of course; lady Tsunade would never miss the chance to teach the blond even the tiniest thing about diplomacy. Lee's even marked off the two weeks for the trip on his calendar and he's has been counting down to it with almost child-like anticipation.

You see, the eagerly anticipated season of spring has just begun, much to the ebony haired boy's delight. While he will miss sitting under colourful cherry blossom tress and lying on fresh grass, something about the barren desert in full bloom fascinates hm. So of course, his answer to the Hokage had been an enthusiastic cry of agreement, and he hasn't regretted the decision since.

As Naruto manages to catch up to the spandex clad man, he realizes just how caught up in his thoughts he has become. Multitasking has never been one of Lee's better skills, unless it happens to involve taijutsu. With a dumbfounded expression on his face, the leaf ninja stops his listless ambling and gets a move on.

Lee isn't content with walking, however, and the grainy detail of the paved floor beneath his feet begins to slip away in a blur of uniform colour, the sandstone grid melting away in his sight.

Leaving his friends in the trail of his youthful spirit, the taijutsu master reaches the door sooner than he expects, and with his mind elsewhere, most likely concerned with lovely thoughts of spring, his body manages to collide with something hard. Whatever it is, it's still standing, which an accomplishment in itself. As Lee opens his eyes, he notices that the sandstone surface is in fact a door, the painful edges of its intricate carvings pressing into his cheek.

It's not until he peels himself from the door that Lee hears the melodic tune of music emerging from the room behind it, and the leaf ninja knows he has found the right place. For a while he is pleased with his achievement, a proud grin illuminating his face, but when he realizes that the only thing left to do is wait for his teammates, his face falls.

So he does the one thing he can; boast to the other members of his squad.

"Tsunade-sama!" I have found the party!" The spandex clad man exclaims at the top of his lungs, hoping that the others manage to hear him, even if they've managed to disappear from his sights, "I can hear the youthful sounds of a joyous celebration inside! Please do hurry so we can join in!"

The only reply the leaf ninja receives is his own echo, but in time he can spot two very familiar figures approaching, and patiently, he waits for them to reach him with a smug grin twisting its way onto his face.

When Naruto is close enough to tell the difference between Lee's eyebrows and caterpillars and, as he spots that awfully proud grin of on his face, the blond sends a silent glare in his direction.

"Bushy brows... you're so loud..." An exhausted Naruto scowls, giving a sigh as he inspects the large door before them and, rolling his tired eyes, gives it a knock, "Eh, you might be right about that though," Then turning to the Hokage, "Tsunade-baasama, I think we're here."

At that, the clearly unamused leader approaches the entrance herself, cautious that her idiot bodyguards might be sending her to the wrong place, and with an ear against the awfully cold surface, she gives a silent nod. Her agreement is as reluctant as her hangover is obvious. However, that doesn't stop Lee from celebrating his efforts, and loudly nonetheless.

"Yosh! I told you I could find it!" The leaf ninja shouts in triumph, merrily fisting the air with all his youthful energy and, from his excitement, one might think there had been a contest or something. Well, there hadn't been.

Ignoring the green one, Tsunade knocks on the door herself and her harsh thuds, laced with frustration, leave just the tiniest cracks in the surface of the sandstone door.

She must be pissed, thinks Naruto, because even Lee's thick skull hadn't been enough to leave a mark on that door.

The Hokage has been drinking. All during their trip to be exact, and while the leaf ninja _would have_ said something before they arrived were he a braver man, something that might have convinced her to put down her sake bottle earlier, even he knows that there is no separating the mighty slug princess from her alcohol. It's because of her that they're late to the celebrations and Lee, who usually likes to come early, doesn't like being late. Not at all. He just hopes the Kazekage understands.

Rusted metal hinges screech painfully and Lee knows from the sight of the well dressed celebrants within that he is out of place in his simple spandex suit. He hasn't even been given the chance to change. Their penetrating gazes glue to the entering late-comers and the leaf ninja isn't sure if it's the moaning doors that catch their attention, or just him.

Not that he minds being noticed; had he had a choice, he'd have chosen his trusty spandex over anything, being appropriate for any occasion. Someone once told him he was a melodramatic attention seeker, but that doesn't bother him.

Probably Gaara, now that he thinks about it.

Ah yes, the red headed Kazekage.

As Tsunade strides in as if she's _not_ two hours late, with Lee and Naruto lingering behind in almost timid manner, the leaf ninja manages to pick the young Kage out of the crowd almost instantly. He's excusing himself from a conversation to greet his new guests when Lee does, and from the hurry in his stride, they must be **very** important guests.

That hair, a vibrant crimson the colour of roses, has some use after all.

The leaf ninja can't help but smile when he sees Gaara meet his gaze. It's because of him that the taijutsu master is even here. Had they not been exchanging letters, Lee just might have passed up such a wondrous opportunity.

The two friends have been writing letters to each other for a few years, and even now, it surprises the leaf ninja that the Kazekage manages to find the time to reply. And as quickly as he does, scribbling down a much brisker response to the leaf ninja's nonsensical ramblings in that wonderfully cursive handwriting of his. It's quite heart warming that the aloof leader even bothers to him updated, and Lee awaits the letters with child-like anticipation every week.

Usually lines of formal Kazekage-stuff bury the contents of the red head's letters, with only the smallest mentions of his personal life ever included. But lately, the Kazekage had been mentioning a certain something quite frequently as the ebony haired boy's favourite season inched ever closer.

The Annual Sunagakure Spring Dance, the very same dance that the leaf ninja has just arrived at.

From the moment one steps foot in Suna, it is painfully obvious how lavishly they celebrate the season. Spring is such a joyous time in what would usually be a lifeless desert and one that the land of wind spares no expense for. It is when the usually hostile cacti adorn themselves with newly bloomed flowers and the inhospitable desert planes seem full of life. And, in what is considered a tradition, the sand village holds an annual festival each year; including the ever-popular dance that the Kazekage seems so taken with.

Lee isn't as thick as everyone likes to believe. Well, just barely. He is familiar enough with the Kazekage to know that if he wants you to know something, he makes sure you do, however bluntly he goes about it. And he never mentions anything as much as he does that dance.

As for why, the leaf ninja has no clue. It isn't like Gaara to take an interest in dancing, much less attending any sort of celebration. His last birthday party had been proof enough of his disdain for them.

The dance itself is more diplomatic than it is celebratory, with huge numbers of diplomats from countries Lee has never visited attending, their varying complexions a stark contrast to the typical tanned skin of the regular desert dweller. The Hokage had warned him not to do anything stupid, even if she had just made a spectacle of her lateness, for that very reason. Amongst that, Lee had also been informed of the dancing, and being told of that aspect the leaf ninja's face had lit up immediately; after all, he loves dancing.

Gaara however, really doesn't, and that is why the leaf ninja has no idea why he would want to attend this ball at all. It is just so odd...

Especially since the letters had stopped when Lee, curious, had asked Gaara if he intended on bring a special person along with him.

But Lee shrugs off his doubts in favour of simply believing that the Kazekage has opened his mind to more varied activities, for which he is proud of the young man. And after all, he is the Kazekage. Organizing a whole celebration has to take up quite a lot of a person's schedule, that's probably why Lee has been getting no responses. The leaf ninja is just thankful that he gets to see the sand ninja again in person.

"Lee-san, Uzumaki-san..." The sand ninja greets the two after shaking the Hokage's hand, his once impassive scowl widening into the smallest of smiles. The Kazekage's mint coloured orbs light up with a hint of joy as they glance over the bowl cut ninja, and his gaze lingers on that odd looking face for a few more moments than they should have.

"Hey, red head!" Naruto beams brightly, walking over to his friend and giving the young leader a casual pat on the back; he has of course no regard for the other man's ranking, and his invasive touching is met with a sinister glare, "Nice party you've got here, but where's the food? You wouldn't have any ramen would ya?" Of course the prospect of food is the first thing on the blond's mind, but Gaara crushes his hopes with a swift shake of his head.

"I apologize, Naruto-san, but there is no ramen," Gaara states bluntly, and the words have an underlying malice to them, an addition that confuses Lee, "However, I am sure you will find something you like at the buffet table to the left."

Surely enough the blond doesn't have to be told twice and, with bright eyes, he runs off without a word. Even Gaara gives a small chuckle as the orange clad shinobi sprints off, a pale hand raised to his mouth in an attempt to conceal the action. Lee is still standing besides his Hokage however, refusing to leave her side until she dismisses him herself, but his focus seems to shift to the amused red head uncontrollably.

"Is he always like this?" The sand ninja queries softly, his black rimmed eyes following the Uzumaki's movements until he could no longer be seen amongst the crowd, "It seems it has been such a long time since we last met, but I do not recall him being so eager to indulge. You haven't starved him have you now, Hokage-dono?" With an unamused blink, Tsunade sneers.

"Trust me; that boy could eat an entire ramen shop out if he wanted to..." The irate leader responds in a bitter mutter, with no time for idle conversation. Gaara merely nods in acknowledgment, and he seems glad that the blond is gone, before focusing on Lee with that unblinking stare of his, this time laced with question, and a sense of faint interest showing through.

"You came..." The red head hums softly, as if pleased, and Lee gives a nervous grin back, "You should probably join the Uzumaki before he gets himself in trouble; I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't mind at all." The offer is met with an agitated look from the blond, who obviously does mind.

"I could not, Kazekage-sama!" Lee refuses the invitation to slack on his important mission instantly, not even thinking about leaving the side of his leader, "My mission is to guard Hokage-sama, and I will not fail! Besides; I have not asked you how you are yet!" Gaara is confused for a moment, but it takes the young Kage a while to understand what exactly his friend means.

"Oh..." The former Jinchūriki murmurs softly, and he seems a bit embarrassed that he hadn't caught on; his gaze however, does not leave Lee, "If you must know, I am doing well. The village is peaceful, and leaf-sand relations are better than they have ever been. May I ask how you are?" The interest in the red head's eyes flares, and it is clear that he is sincere in his question.

Gaara never really did see the point in small talk, and that's why Lee takes a while to absorb the question. He's bewildered by that fact that the _Kazekage_ wants to know how _he_ is. The Kazekage, of all people. It might just be that he's had some extra etiquette drilled into him, but usually he's only this nice to Naruto. Nonetheless, Lee is happy to have someone interested in his life for once, and it certainly is a pleasant surprise for the red head to be that someone.

"Oh Kazekage-sama, I am just wonderful!" The taijutsu master exclaims giddily, ready to burst into a full speech about the joyous wonders of spring, "I never knew the desert of all places could be so full of life and youthful! Then again, Gai-sensei did tell me not to judge a book by its cover, and this is a prime example! Oh I will have many stories to tell my friends when I return! I bet they did not even know a cactus could bear such a beautiful flower as it does!" The sand ninja even gives a light-hearted chuckle at his friend's ramblings. He seems uncharacteristically happy for once. Well, happier than usual, but Lee always knew there was a smile hidden under that emotionless mask!

"Lee-san, it is great that you are enjoying your visit. If you and your friends need anything, do not hesitate to ask," Gaara replies with a brisk nod, and though the offer sounds questionable with a subtle twinkle in the red head's eye, Lee doesn't question it, "Now, if you don't mind, I am needed elsewhere. Hokage-dono and I must discuss the plans for her speech tomorrow, and your lateness means I have less time to do so."

Tsunade frowns at the idea of spending the afternoon with the emotionless Kazekage, but at least he is a man of few words, and even better, he's managed to rid her of those two nuisances already. The less annoying ninjas the better, she thinks to herself, accompanied with an amused snort.

"Kid, go enjoy yourself with blondie," The slug princess mumbles, dismissing the taijutsu master with a wave of her hand; not long after she has her aching head in her hands again, "I don't think I can stand you any longer..."

With a bow and a salute to his honourable leader, Lee focuses on the Kazekage.

"Gaara-sama, we will talk another time! I do not wish to impose on your time with the Hokage!" The leaf ninja shouts before he salutes the young leader. The red head gives an awkward smile at this and the faint hints of embarrassment fill his cheeks as an apologetic guilt taints his gaze. It seems he doesn't like forcing Lee to leave.

"I am sure we will, Lee-san," The red head murmurs with a brisk nod of acknowledgement, "I will be sure to find you as soon as I am done with your leader, I promise." And with that, the two Kages make their leave.

Lee sighs the moment they disappear beyond the crowd and he is left in his lonesome. A part of him feels unwanted, that after all this effort, even his leader doesn't need him. But the leaf ninja supposes she really doesn't need him by her side; she is the Hokage after all, and fully capable of protecting herself.

Pondering this, his stomach growls, but Lee isn't hungry and he instead wonders off to observe the graceful dancers in the middle of the ball room, the clicks from their heeled shoes ring through the room as their feet meet the surface of the polished floorboards. The food sure smells nice, Lee thinks to himself as he watches the dancers with interest, the lovely aroma of foreign dishes filling his nose, but he's eaten already and if he must waste his time, then he'd rather waste it watching something beautiful.


	2. Please Dance With Me!

**-Chapter 2: Please Dance With Me!-**

**Chapter Rating: **T  
**Published: **30th June 2014  
**Last Updated: **-

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In the quietest corner of the ballroom, the two Kage discuss painfully trivial matters. While Tsunade is thankful to be as far away from the ear shattering music as possible, she'd much rather be back in Konoha. Actually, she'd much rather be anywhere but here. Besides, as Hokage, she had far better things to do than talk to the red headed brat about some stupid speech. Not that she would be sticking around in this hell of a desert long enough for it anyway.

Tsunade doesn't know why she even came, but she plans to leave this boiling hot dump by morning, with or without her bodyguards. There's no way she can bare another day here, and if the three day trip back with those loud imbeciles kills her, then so be it. Death is preferable than this. Anything. Alliance or not, the Hokage doesn't care.

At the moment the only thought Tsunade has is getting her greedy hands on some alcohol. After all, the only cure for a hangover is more alcohol and no one's stupid enough to get in the way of the mighty slug princess in her pursuit of grog. That bowl of punch a few metres away isn't doing much for sanity.

The Hokage knows she'll regret this in the morning, she always does, but right now, it doesn't matter. Suna's councilmen seem to be enjoying the stuff, why can't she? It could taste like absolute garbage and she would still chug it down. Anything's better than the dull conversation she's stuck in.

She wonders if the Kazekage would even mind if she just left to quench her thirst. Probably not, and so she starts plotting her escape.

The read head looks about as bored as she is, but then again, he always looks like that. Except around Naruto and bushy brows; it's to be expected though, they're supposedly friends. Tsunade guesses the brat must find them amusing, what with the way she's always smiling when they're around. Amusing alright, but not if you had to spend three straight days in their company. Hell, they're the reason the blond has a hangover.

If Tsunade hadn't started drinking before, she would have surely taken up the horrible habit during that trip.

With eyes glued to the bowl of punch, Tsunade is clearly no longer paying attention to the Kazekage. She knows that if she's going to get any before those old men drink it all, she has to hurry and make her move. Not just any excuse will work, in fact, nothing she could think of would convince the red head. As brainless as he looks sometimes, with his emotionless face and all, the kid is rather perceptive, and would recognize her destination quickly. Being straightforward would be rude, not to mention that heaven knows what that brat would say about it.

The Hokage supposes that if the Kazekage hadn't bribed her bodyguards to abandon her with offers of food, they'd be with her right now and ready to make up all kinds of excuses for their leader. At the very least those two could have kept Gaara distracted. Thinking about it, the asshole probably planned it this way. You can never trust sand shinobi, mysterious and conniving things they are.

To be fair, she's only this suspicious because the Kazekage has very faithful bodyguards. Not that they have any choice in the matter; Suna tends to be rather protective of their leaders, what with their terrible track record of assassinations and all. Not to mention, they're his siblings. The two are standing a distance from Gaara and, though they're chatting up some foreign diplomats, their watchful eyes still linger on their younger brother every few seconds. Shared blood, she supposes, means they have a responsibility to look after one another. Tsunade is jealous, to say the least. The trust those three share between them is something she'll never have now. Not after what happened to Nawaki.

However, trusting someone is not the same as liking them, a fact the sand ninja knows quite well. He trusts his siblings, however reluctant he is to admit it to their faces, but when it comes to liking them, well, he can't say he does. Call it sibling rivalry, but Gaara is unnecessarily harsh to his siblings. They have both dedicated an enormous amount of time teaching the youngest sand sibling the very basics of etiquette, something he's so far only bothered to use on his two favourite leaf shinobi, but he still loathes them. They are annoying and overbearing, and frankly, the Kazekage doesn't have time for them.

But that's what siblings are like, he supposes.

After all, someone had to prepare him for tonight. He may be Kazekage, but he's never attended a dance before. No one's bothered to invite him, he supposes. A good call; Gaara avoids balls like a cat avoids water. He simply doesn't have time for such petty celebrations and, as dancing involves two people, he'd rather not participate. Frankly, the girls in his village scare him. Gaara can't comprehend why they like to form large groups when he's around and steal his belongings, yet still expect him to be anything other than freaked out.

For whatever reason, he doesn't want to think about it really, the Kazekage had decided to attend this year's annual spring ball. He hasn't been mobbed **yet**, but he considers himself lucky so far.

He guesses if his siblings had let him bring his sand, he wouldn't be so edgy. But no, his siblings know full well that **occasionally**, and only occasionally, the sand gets a bit defensive. If people stopped touching him without his consent there wouldn't be a problem. Sometimes the truly stupid ones deserve to lose their limbs. Gaara wouldn't even feel guilty if such a thing happened, maybe then they'd learn to respect his personal space.

Even Kankuro has been more annoying than usual. Contrary to what Gaara has attempted to explain to him multiple times, his brother has come to the conclusion that the red head has an ulterior motive for wanting to attend the dance. Rightly so, Gaara would never waste his precious time unless he has something to gain. However, that doesn't mean his brother gets to mock him, especially with the belief that Gaara holds affections for someone. What really annoys the Kazekage, however, is how Kankuro is certain that he has crueller intentions.

His brother really does know him well and, while the idea sounds entertaining, Gaara also hates how normal it is for his siblings to presume there must be a catch. He simply can't have interest in anyone without there being some dark desire mixed in. If he were into the business of breaking hearts, Gaara is sure such a reputation would be apparent by now.

His sister, however, is smarter than Kankuro. Much smarter. Temari seems to have caught on to something long before Kankuro ever did, and the red knows it. She gives him **those** looks, knowing and just a tad smug.

From what the eldest sibling has seen, or more specifically, read, Gaara likes someone. With her skills in deduction, Temari also knows that that someone happens to be a man. And of course, that man is a certain leaf ninja.

Gaara isn't one to give much away, but it's obvious. Te red head is generally much nice to Naruto and Lee than anyone else, but figuring out which one he's interested in was much harder. It seems like Gaara _did_like both of them, at least until Naruto made it clear he had more interest in rocks than the Kazekage. A shame; they would have made a great couple.

Of course, that only left the ever-exuberant Lee.

Her brother has quite the thing for staring at that man and no amount of green jumpsuits, thick eyebrows and bowl cuts can make his gaze wonder elsewhere. It's almost as if he likes those things. He always has been an odd one, though, so the blond can't put it past him. Most likely, he only came to this dance to catch a glimpse of that man.

Temari doesn't understand it -she doesn't want to- but unlike her brunette brother, she isn't about to embarrass the youngest sand sibling just yet. At the very least, Gaara likes someone, and that's a blessing on its own.

Besides, Temari likes to thinks of herself as a good sister.

And Tsunade is painfully aware that she's also a good bodyguard.

Well, in truth, she_ had _let her own bodyguards run off. She can't really feel envious now, can she? If she'd wanted them to stick around she could have just ordered them, but she hadn't.

Now that the Sannin thinks about it, she wonders where the two boys are, supposedly charged with her life and all. She spends a while sorting through the crowd and the first thing she spots is the orange blob she's come to know as Naruto. He's at the buffet table, still attempting to fill him bottomless stomach, and the sight is absolutely repulsive.

Next, her eyes focus on another bright ball of colour, Lee this time, and oddly enough, he's alone.

A lonely Lee isn't necessarily a bad thing and it usually means he has no one to talk loudly to, a saving grace for the Hokage, but being the extrovert he is, it also means he has the tendency to become awfully depressed. Unless, of course, he's preoccupied with that ridiculous training regimen of his. He already looks a tad on the sad side and if someone doesn't cheer him up soon, she'll have to deal with the consequences.

There's an actual reason Tsunade chose those two bumbling idiots to be her bodyguards, and not just because the red head had practically threatened her to bring them along. They are, however unlikely from their ludicrous appearances, reliable shinobi. Saying that, it seems as if they have taken it upon themselves to forget everything they previously knew about being a bodyguard. Well, she doesn't need them anyway. A Hokage can take care of herself.

And yes, Gaara had definitely threatened her. It isn't unusual for that brat to demand things, and when the sand village requires a shinobi, in most cases, he requests Naruto. Tsunade had been expecting him to do the same this time, being the predicable brat he is, but instead he'd surprised her. It seems the red head has his sights set on a certain spandex clad shinobi. At least he has stopped attempting to flirt with her successor, and if thick eyebrows and bowl cuts are the Kazekage's thing, weird as it sounds, then he could have Lee. If only because then she wouldn't be stuck with the little nuisance.

Disturbing as it is, the blond has to admit that the two would make an amusing couple. She ponders asking the red head what he sees in that idiot, but eventually decides against it. Tsunade doesn't need one of the Kazekage's infamous tantrums; sandstorms don't make for the best of travelling conditions.

Who's she kidding; the Hokage wouldn't even make it out of the building before the Kazekage killed her.

Shifting her gaze back to Lee, Tsunade studies the man's dismayed face with clinical thoroughness, more out of lack for anything better to do than for any specific reason. He's funny to look at, she supposes. Well, more amusing than the Kazekage's dull face.

Defying the very laws of nature, the spandex clad shinobi has managed to silently pad his way over to a lonely looking corner of the hall. Subtlety isn't something that boy is known for, in fact, it's universally agreed that the taijutsu master doesn't know what quiet is, so the occurrence is disturbing. Even so, Tsunade finds ease in watching him. Simply knowing the whereabouts of her bodyguards puts her at ease.

Lee, on the other hand, feels extremely out of place amongst the crowd of happy couples. He is rarely so shy around affection, his usual, happy self embracing it with open arms, and the very sight of two people in their springtime of youth makes him more pleased than a pig in mud.

So why does he feel so left out today?

It's simply not like him at all, and the leaf ninja wants to pick himself back up. Of course, he can't, his mind simply doesn't listen to him. He really wishes Sakura-chan was here, just so he could have someone to embrace and dance with.

A bitter bout of jealousy gets the better of him, and the leaf ninja is struck with a wave of envy at that pulls at his very veins. Lee sighs, and though he has the urge to bawl his eyes out, he knows that must remain strong. Sand shinobi have a toxic tendency to scoff at displays of emotion, and though he doesn't agree with it, the taijutsu master cannot afford to embarrass his village.

Besides, he's just lonely.

No one ever died from loneliness…right?

Lee sighs again, this time more heavily, and, closing his eyes, attempts to block out the disheartening sight of the dancing couples. They seem to glide gracefully around the ballroom, and hopefully, averting his eyes from the happy sight will combat the unyouthful feelings fluttering in the dark pits of his stomach. If his beloved Gai-sensei were here, he would surely be disappointed in the leaf ninja. Standing in a dimly lit corner of a room full of otherwise rejoicing people is not something the leaf ninja's master would approve of at all. And he certainly would not be please with the reasoning behind Lee's moping - his lack of a date.

This is the grandest ball Lee has ever seen in his life, granted he has never been to any other to make that comparison, and such a beautiful spectacle should be enough to cheer the leaf ninja up. Oddly enough, it does the exact opposite.

The leaf ninja makes sure to keep his distance from the dance floor, the source of his despair. He wants nothing to do with it, especially in such a state. No one would want to dance with someone as ugly as him anyway, and he hasn't received so much as a stare in his direction from the Sunagakure girls. It's rare, considering how much attention Lee usually garners. The taijutsu master is not much more than a pouty little wallflower, but he guesses it must have something to do with all the depressing waves he is sending off. Besides, he wouldn't have his heart in it were he asked to dance. After all, his heart already belongs to Sakura.

As she usually did, Sakura had turned the handsome green beast down once again. Not nicely either, and Lee's proclamations of love had been rejected day after day by the very girl he adored so. The taijutsu master should be used to it by now, and he is in some respects, but it always leaves him miserable when he starts to give the matter some thought.

Which is why he should never be allowed to think about things.

Even if Lee's heart wasn't taken by his beautiful cherry blossom, he wouldn't have a chance. The taijutsu master can't think of any reason why someone would want to dance with a person as hopeless as him. Everything about his very being is depressing. Rock Lee is not extraordinary, not as handsome as Sasuke Uchiha, or even that good of a shinobi. He may be considered an elite ninja these days, finally earning the rank of Jōnin, but not even his peers take him seriously. He is, and always will be, the ridiculous bowl cut kid. It is even a lie that he calls himself the handsome green beast. He is certainly not handsome; if anything, by normal standards he is ugly.

However, Gaara is not remotely normal, in any sense of the word. Tsunade has been in enough meetings with the Kazekage to know that by now. The blond shifts her gaze from the leaf ninja, utterly bored, and is instead admiring the sake. She's trapped in a daze, and once again, she tries to think of ways to escape from the brat's clutches as she nods to his words absentmindedly.

She's thought long and hard about this, and after careful consideration, the only option the Hokage has left is to simply run for it.

And so she does.

With a brisk cough to get the Kazekage's attention, Tsunade makes it painfully clear that she has better things to do with her time than listen to him talk; all with just a stare directed his way. It's the first time she's met his gaze all night.

"Excuse me, but I need to go get drunk as hell," The Hokage states, no-nonsense and all, and before she earns a reply, the blond takes her leave. Shamelessly, she makes a bee-line straight to the bowl of punch.

Gaara watches as she slips away, bemused by the whole display. He guesses, after much thought, that it explains her vacant gaze and lack of conversation throughout the evening. With a shrug, the red head decides to take a look around the room.

It doesn't take him too long to find Lee, his bright spandex suit making the discovery an easy task. Oddly enough, he's by himself, and Gaara can't help but wonder why. Wasn't Naruto somewhere nearby?

Lee, unlike the Kazekage, is a social creature. He requires attention, thrives on it, and if he doesn't receive it, the leaf ninja mood plummets. Gaara understands that much about his friend, but his constant need to be surrounded by others is still a confusing concept. Then again, Lee has always been confusing.

Soon enough, the Kazekage's gaze settles on the leaf ninja's strange face. In absence of anything better to do, the red head had thought it might be interesting to watch him, but now he guesses his assumption was wrong. The poor man doesn't appear to be entertaining himself, much less anyone else. Gaara has never seen Lee so disheartened before, and the sight of the man in such a state makes him sick to his stomach in something his nosy siblings would label concern.

As much as the indifferent Kazekage hate to admit it, he really is worried about that annoying taijutsu master. They're friends, and Gaara cares about his friends. Lee is, after all, one of the few he has. The sand ninja feels the need to act as a friend does and return at least a small amount of the kindness Lee has offered to him over the years.

The red head realizes that, subconsciously, he's taken quite the interest in admiring the leaf ninja from afar and sighs. Lee seems to be getting him down too now. It's odd, because while Lee is quite fetching, at least in the Kazekage's eyes, his appeal only stems from cheerful nature and Gaara doesn't understand what else would cause his eyes to fix so intently on the man. He supposes his staring is just another of his bad habits and he often finds himself staring at things he finds intriguing. The man before him is certainly a specimen worthy of that description.

Deeper, Gaara guesses that it must be guilt driving him this time, even pity perhaps. Gaara's heart does have a general negative feeling plaguing it now, and he is suddenly determined to figure out what's wrong with the leaf ninja and rid himself of the terrible feeling.

Deciphering the mystery of emotions has never really been the red head's strong point, so of course he finds the task difficult. He wonders why he even bothers sometimes; Lee is the easiest of all people to read, his emotions on display for everyone to see, yet Gaara can't figure out how even he feels sometimes. The sand ninja, hopeless as he is, still tries however. He may rarely worry about anyone, but he tries.

If there's one thing Gaara knows about his green friend, it's that if Lee isn't smiling, proclaiming energetically about how 'youthful' things are or obsessing over his training like a maniac, something must be terribly, terribly wrong.

Of course his interest in helping Lee fades quickly as he becomes frustrated, and the usually patient Kazekage gives up his futile attempts at reading the leaf ninja; instead, he opts to just ask. Being blunt is a tactic that usually serves Gaara well, so off he goes. He doesn't bother telling his siblings as he wonders off in Lee's direction, he wonders if they'll worry, an afterthought brought about by his sudden bout of kind-heartedness, but in the end he figures they're smart; they can figure out where he's gone by themselves.

The curiosity that has driven the red head to approach the leaf ninja, an unfamiliar weight in his heart, is something the Kazekage does not enjoy. He feels partly responsible for the frown creasing his friend's face, however idiotic that sounds. He _had _promised to talk to the taijutsu master, and if he doesn't, he'll not only be breaking his promise, but he'll have to stand the sight of a depressed Lee for the rest of the night. Why can't _anyone_ else take care of the leaf ninja, at least someone with more social skills than him?

At least he doesn't have to deal with Tsunade anymore.

The young Kage would pick the impetuous Rock Lee over the Hokage any day of the week, granted, they were both equally annoying in their own way. At least the leaf ninja has manners. Gaara guesses he shouldn't be so bitter – Tsunade's speech tomorrow will surely be entertaining. He'd tried to help her, at least.

Temari however, isn't very happy with the sudden departure of her brother. He seems to have the habit of wondering off without any warning, something he's managed to do enough times today as it is, and the blond is just about to drag the red head back. That is, until she notices who the sand ninja is moving towards. The wind mistress gives a knowing smile. If the brat is just going to chat with friends, Lee especially, then it won't do him much harm. After all, that leaf ninja had been assigned as the Hokage's bodyguard; he is capable of keeping her safe, so why not Gaara?

Besides, other than the obvious reason the Kazekage is so inclined to interact with the taijutsu master, it would be good for him.

And as usual, Kankuro hasn't noticed yet.

Temari swears that man wouldn't bat an eye even if someone suddenly smashed through the window and kidnapped their younger brother. At the moment she's more willing to rest Gaara's life in that green weirdo's hands than her own brother's.

When the leaf ninja finally opens his large eyes, he spots the sand ninja heading his way instantly. He has a distinctive scowl spread on his usually impassive face and his formal Kazekage robes fly around his ankles at the speed of his hurried stride. It seems that man will not leave Lee be. Stubborn thing he is; but that's just Gaara, he guesses.

Not that it's at all a bad thing, especially considering that this is the Kazekage who has decided to keep him company.

How kind of him! And such a youthful display of their bond of friendship! The sight warms Lee's heart, and it's certainly nice to know that someone wants to talk to him. Especially Gaara, who had promised him earlier that they'd talk. Not that Lee doubted his promise at all.

No matter how delighted the leaf ninja is, the red head still manages to startle Lee when he comes to a harsh stop before him. The taijutsu master's eyes widen in shock and he can't help but notice, thanks to their sudden proximity, the Kazekage's brilliant sea-foam depths gazing back at him intently, a hint of annoyance and what appears to be concern hidden amongst them.

Lee, frozen with an unexpected sense of fear, wonders if he has done something wrong; Gaara isn't usually this pissed off.

"Lee-san…" The Kazekage acknowledges the young man before him with a low breath, and it's then that the leaf ninja notices that his tone is soft with concern, not bitter with malice or anger, "There is something wrong with you." Well, he's only stating the obvious, Lee thinks. Suddenly Gaara's ringed eyes skim over Lee's body almost analytically, searching for some sort of physical injury, but alas, no saviour comes.

The red head is instead forced to face his friend's emotions.

When Lee remains oddly silent and doesn't reply, Gaara gives him another quizzical stare.

"How are you feeling? Good, bad? Did something happen?" The red head now questions almost frantically, his icy blue orbs boring into the leaf ninja's own. His bare brow is furrowed in worry, and Lee knows he isn't just pretending to care.

Still in shock, the taijutsu stares dumbly at the Kazekage, distracted by their closeness and, especially, the unsettling warmth of the man's breath on his exposed neck. The only thing saving him from having that breath in his face is their difference in heights. Lee's not sure if he should be thankful for that or not.

Lee snaps out of his daze when he realizes Gaara is still waiting for a response, sore eyes fluttering open and shut erratically. It seems he had forgotten to blink.

"K-kazekage-sama…!" Lee addresses the red head nervously, instinctively practicing his formal vocabulary. Even scared out of his wits, the leaf ninja is happy that his friend is here. Granted, the sudden bombardment of questions isn't doing much for his mind, and Lee crumbles under the pressure caused by the presence of such a fearsome man.

Lee notices that Gaara is unnervingly close; his slender and noticeably warm body is almost pressed against the leaf ninja's large frame. However, no matter how _pleasant_, the Kazekage's proximity is still uncomfortable. The red head, of course, is completely unfazed from it. From what Lee remembers, Gaara usually values his personal space, and the taijutsu master can't help but wonder what they look like in such a position. Not very flattering, to say the least. Perhaps Gaara is just not bothered by Lee, a nice thought, but it doesn't make their closeness any less awkward.

Inevitably, Lee is forced to push his palms against the younger's chest to indicate his desperate need for some space. The red head, surprisingly, complies, backing off in understanding, but regardless of how much distance he puts between them, they are still rather close, and it makes the leaf ninja anxious.

He just hopes that Gaara doesn't pay particular attention to it. Lee can instantly recognize his weariness as a result of the injuries the sand ninja had inflicted upon him, his body sending instinctive signals to get as far away from this man as possible. But Lee has never been one to rely on his instincts, even when it might be necessary for his very survival.

It's always there, the urge in the very back of his mind, to keep his distance from Gaara. And he's always ignored it. So he continues to; Lee knows Gaara will do no harm to him.

"I am okay, I promise, Gaara-sama!" The leaf ninja attempts to reassure the red head, putting on a half-hearted grin as he tries to look brave. He fails, and those gorgeous orbs of Gaara's burn holes into his own.

And they are such magnificent looking orbs indeed! Such a mesmerizing shade of light blue, with just the tiniest hints of green buried in their mysterious depths. Green is such a lovely colour, Lee loves it with all his heart, and even more so in Gaara's pretty pair of eyes. Lee could stare into those depths for hours, just wondering why they sparkle so and attempting to decipher all the emotions that shine through.

When the easily distracted leaf ninja snaps back to reality, he averts his gaze from the Kazekage's gorgeous eyes and, silently, refuses to ever set his own on them again, torturous things they are.

Instead, Lee decides to stare at something else, and the first thing his eye's land on is the annoyed frown spread across his friend's lips. He can only guess what he's done this time.

"Liar…" The red head hisses viciously, scrutinizing the leaf ninja's entire being with a gaze that screams suspicion, "Do not take me as a fool. I **know** you are sad." The Kazekage says the words so bluntly, and in truth, it shocks Lee. But he should have expected it; Gaara can see through any facade with ease, not to mention that the leaf ninja is a terrible liar. Not even a smile can delude the sand ninja, that, and the dismay is still plainly evident in the taijutsu master's eyes. He's not doing much to hide it, Gaara notices.

"You are worried about me…" Lee murmurs as he spots the emotion flash in Gaara's eyes once more, finding that his gaze has returned to them even if he had sworn off the dazzling things. It's almost cute, really, knowing that the mighty Kazekage is concerned for him.

Cute probably isn't the right word to use when referring to the callous red head, though the sentiment is there. Gaara so scarcely shows concern towards others, so when such a raw emotion sparkles in his eyes. Lee is instantly happy to be the focus of such worry. He only wishes that Gaara were kinder when it comes to expressing his concern; one could call his current way of going about it rude. The taijutsu master lets it slide, of course. The Kazekage always acts in such a way, and more so when worried, it seems. But Lee supposes that he finds an odd interest in the red head's social awkwardness.

"Of course, Lee-san…" The sand ninja eventually murmurs under his breath as Lee focuses again, and upon inspection, the frown on Gaara's face has eased somewhat, "I find it hard to be happy when you're not. Is that normal?" The question catches Lee's attention and he can't help but find Gaara's curiosity amusing.

"I am not sad…" The leaf ninja explains with a sigh and, before the young leader can interrupt him with claims of lies, he continues, "I am lonely, but the two are very similar, Gaara-sama."

After a few moments of silence, Lee decides to answer his friend's question.  
"And that is certainly normal; those that can remain happy when others around them are suffering are not."

"Ah, that would describe you perfectly then – well, usually," Gaara replies in understanding, before sighing at the taijutsu master's predicament, "You _are_ sad, but your dismay merely stems from loneliness," At that Gaara frowns again, very familiar with the feeling, "May I ask what it will take to have you smiling again?"

A small smile twists at the leaf ninja's lips simply because of those words, a genuine one for once, and the red head follows suit. Lee feels better already and, when he spots Gaara's own upwardly tilted lips, flashes one of the largest grins he can muster in his current state. It isn't anything like his usual smiles, instead weak and forced, but it is at least more sincere than the one he'd used to fool the Kazekage before.

"To be honest, your company would be nice, Kazekage-sama!" The leaf ninja chirps and the red head moves to stand besides his friend, low chuckles escaping from his lips at the suggestion. Lee supposes that Gaara had previously only wanted to intimidate him, most likely into telling the truth, with his closeness; the Kazekage wouldn't have risked his personal space without a solid reason, after all.

"Then you have it, Lee-san," Gaara hums as his once diminutive smile brightens ever so slightly, and suddenly his mood is much lighter. Lee doesn't miss either change though, however slight it is.

Gaara so rarely smiles, so it's hard not to pay attention to him when he actually does. Up this close to the other shinobi, the leaf ninja can clearly see the sharp point of pearly white canines. Earlier in the evening when he'd been flashed a small grin, they'd gone unnoticed. Lee wonders if the red head has such sharp fangs because he was once a Jinchūriki. Doesn't Naruto have something like that too?

The taijutsu master supposes that he is paying too much attention to the little details.

"Lee-san, it's not rude if I ask why you're so lonely, is it…?" The red head asks, and when he finally speaks through the smothering silence that had arisen between them, the leaf ninja snaps out of his thoughts. Gaara is genuinely curious; Lee had accompanied Naruto here after all and usually the blond doesn't let his friends wonder off by themselves. Is he too busy eating that he doesn't have the time to keep an eye on Lee? The Kazekage certainly wouldn't put it past him; Naruto loves his food almost as much as he loves that stupid Uchiha, however hard he tries to deny both.

"All the dancing couples…" Lee answers in a soft mutter, sighing in shame as his coal coloured orbs focus on the dance floor once more, "They were making me jealous…" The Kazekage can tell from the gloomy look on the other man's face that he is missing someone and he knows exactly who.

"You wished to bring a date, I suppose?" The sand ninja guesses inquisitively, before he continues in hopes of reassuring the leaf ninja, "Don't worry, I haven't one either." The taijutsu master is extremely surprised at that admission and Gaara supposes that he had expected the young leader to have a line of girls waiting to dance with him. That is somewhat true, but the Kazekage hasn't danced with a single one, nor has he an actual date. He has better things to do and someone specific on his mind.

"Really?" Lee simply doesn't believe it, but Gaara nods once more in confirmation and, with a bright blush adorning his cheeks, the leaf ninja continues, "I tried asking Sakura-chan out again…" From the tone of his voice, it's almost as if he's ashamed of himself.

"How did that go? I take it she didn't accept your offer?" The Kazekage asks, feigning interest as confusion clouds his gaze, "I guess it's her decision to make, but she is very harsh on you. I don't understand it; you're sure you're not stalking her, are you? I've heard girls don't like that; then again, no one does…"

"What do you mean, Gaara-sama?" Lee murmurs, tilting his head in question before his mouth flew open, "I do **not** stalk Sakura-chan! Where did you get such an idea!?" Gaara only rolls his eyes; the leaf ninja doesn't even realize how creepy he can come off as, does he?

"The Haruno's decision is made, and while I don't agree with it, it's still very obvious that she is harsher than necessary when it comes to turning you down – I've seen it myself. One would presume you bought that upon yourself in some way," The Kazekage explains as if he's talking to a child, sighing, "All I'm saying is that your persistence - though admirable when one ignores how idiotic your pursuit is - could be seen as creepy. If she tells you to stop, I'd listen."

Lee doesn't seem to pay any attention to the majority of the red head's words; instead his gaze is fixed on Gaara's own stare.

"You do not agree with her decision, huh…?" Lee begins, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he tries his best to glare at the Kazekage, "Why is that Gaara-sama…?" Gaara only rolls his eyes some more; if Lee thinks he can stare him down, he mustn't be familiar with the red head's famous death glares.

"Were I to receive an offer from someone as handsome as you, I would certainly appreciate it," The Kazekage gives the leaf ninja the luxury of an answer if just to humour him, hands raised in the air defensively; Lee can't tell if his words are some sort of joke or not, "After all, you're most likely the best dancer in this room."

Lee seems to take his words as compliments, smiling as he laughs awkwardly. It certainly isn't like the Kazekage to compliment him though, the man usually enjoys insulting him, but maybe the leaf ninja really does some cheering up, especially if Gaara is saying such nice things for once,

Playing on Gaara's words, the taijutsu master decides to take the flattery one step further.

"Gaara-sama…?" Lee hums with a cheeky smile spread across his lips and he receives a curious stare in return when he moves to stand before the Kazekage with hands concealed behind his back, "We are both without a date, and I do not like to see such a _gorgeous _man being a wallflower like myself, so…" At this, the leaf ninja reaches for one of the sand ninja's slender hands, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Gaara resists at first, confused by the display, but with a careful eye on Lee and his curiosity sparked, he relaxes and lets the man bring it to his mouth. The leaf ninja gives the pale skin covering his knuckle a tender peck. The Kazekage's breath hitches. When the taijutsu master finally looks up, his eyes are wide and sparkling with over-enthusiastic excitement.

"Please dance with me!" The green beast exclaims loudly and a few surrounding guests manage to overhear his offer over the music, their scrutinising stares focusing on the two men for a few seconds before looking away in discomfort. Not that Lee cares one bit.

The offer is a bit of fun, but even so, Lee really does want to dance with Gaara. Something has compelled him to risk kissing the indifferent man, something he now realizes might have been uncalled for, but he reassures himself that this will merely be a friendly dance. The taijutsu master just hopes that his blatant flattery works; Gaara isn't known to be the most receptive to these kinds of things.

The red head doesn't consider this flattery at all - he doesn't know what flattery is, really, and is honestly just bemused by the current situation. He's backed away from the leaf ninja out of instinct and, with a furrowed brow, is analysing the previous display carefully. Gaara recognizes the kiss as something shared between couples, though no one has ever had the courage to give him one before. A part of him finds the action to be annoying; kisses are revolting things. The other is grateful for even the smallest hint of attention from the taijutsu master.

Such is that dancing with Lee sounds wonderful, embarrassing as it is. It may be a joke, that much the Kazekage is sure of, but with his heart racing, he wishes it weren't.

Closeness is one of the more embarrassing aspects of dancing. The red head usually loathes it to such a degree that he rarely lets others near, but for Lee, he finds the thought of intimacy pleasant. And dancing often leads to more kisses, preferably on the lips this time, because while the Kazekage usually **doesn't** engage in kissing, doing so with the leaf ninja has its advantages. Advantages that bring a blush to the red head's cheeks.

Except the sand ninja can't dance. That might interfere with his plan, but in fact, a few clumsy stumbles might give him an opening.

The young Kage swallows hard as he attempts to regain his previous composure and his heated cheeks finally cool down.

"I would _love_ to dance with you…" The Kazekage utters in something close to happiness, the beginnings of an affectionate smile forming on his lips as he stresses _that_ word, "Lee-san, do not disappoint me, alright? I am expecting something amazing." Lee grins confidently and squeezes the red head's hand, the one still in his grip, as he notices how warm the sand ninja's words have become.

"And it will be…" Lee replies in a gentle murmur as he shortens the distance between their bodies.


	3. Aesthetics

**-Chapter 3: Aesthetics-**

**Chapter Rating: **T  
**Published: **16th July 2014  
**Last Updated: **-

* * *

As Lee entwines their hands, Gaara decides that this probably isn't the best idea. He's anxious, not to mention that the idea of doing something stupid and embarrassing himself looms in the front of his mind. The red head attempts to distract himself by observing how nicely their hands fit together, something trivial to take his mind off the troubling thoughts. As far as the sand ninja can remember, he's never held hands with someone before and the sight amuses him. Such a small display of affection, but his cheeks flush a familiar pink. Their hands are strikingly different; the Kazekage's pale and slender and Lee's tanned and hidden beneath bandages, rough and scarred beneath. Gaara wonders how many of those marks he put there, put anywhere on that man, and instantly feels guilty.

The red head looks up to see a smiling leaf ninja staring back at him, before he knowingly squeezes his hands; just how long was he staring, especially for that oblivious man to notice?

"You're holding my hands…" Gaara states quietly, nothing more than a whisper under his breath, as if to try and justify his staring.

"I know," Lee murmurs and gives a wink and smile, but he seems to be waiting for something.

The Kazekage tilts his head and stares at the leaf ninja with an unblinking gaze, trying to figure out the reason why he'd winked, before he returns the gesture. Lee's lips tug upwards and he finds some amusement in the imitation, but still he's expecting something that Gaara can't grasp. Not sure what to do, the red head stays quiet and Lee notices, before immediately taking charge.

"You have never danced before, have you…?" The leaf ninja asks cautiously and Gaara evades his curious gaze, instead returning his eyes to their joined hands, "I will just have to teach you, then!" He gives the Kazekage's hand another reassuring squeeze and chuckles at the surprised expression on the young Kage's face.

"You don't have to do such a thing, Lee-san…" The red head begins weakly, but Lee ignores his words anyway, before the Kazekage's voice wains and the leaf ninja releases one of his hands and places it on the curve of Gaara's waist.

He receives a flinch and supposes he could have warned the sand ninja.

"Just relax, Gaara…" Lee murmurs and the red head seems to listen at the very least to the sound of his name, flicking his eyes upwards and giving a small smile as some sort of reassurance, "Can you rest your hand on my shoulder please?" Of course Gaara is paying attention to Lee, admiring the man with a fixed gaze, but certainly not his words, and the leaf ninja has to yank the offending appendage to its proper place. The action earns the taijutsu master a harsh glare and as he returns his own hand to the sand ninja's waist, he caresses the appealing curve in an attempt to calm the aggravated Kazekage.

It doesn't do much to help.

"Are you certain I am capable of this… dancing thing?" The red head eventually asks and, not trusting his own abilities, makes his discomfort very clear with a low snarl added to the end of his words, "I'm a shinobi, not a dancer." The taijutsu master just dismisses his friend's comments with a silly grin; the Kazekage's pride is the least of his concern.

"You have very good coordination and as awkward as you can be, your movements are actually very graceful," The leaf ninja explains as he tries to reassure Gaara, but his voice is tainted with uncertainty, "What happened, you were so excited before…?" Gaara tries to break apart their joined hands, but the taijutsu master continues with a firm voice, "These hands stay together."

"It sounded nice and then I remembered that I can't dance," The Kazekage admits in a low murmur, "And that I hate dancing. And being told what to do." The leaf ninja, amused by the red head's spiteful words, rolls his eyes and chuckles under his breath, a failed attempt to hide his laughter.

"Then you will just have to get over that, Kazekage-sama. If you are going to learn how to dance, you will need to listen to me," Lee replies and he doubts it will do much to make the stubborn leader any more receptive to his teachings, let alone change his mind, "Now, we are going to start with some basic footwork. Just copy my movements and you will be fine."

At that, the leaf ninja begins with a simple two-step, his movements slow as he gives Gaara time to imitate them. Soon enough the red head gets the hang of it and Lee starts to pick up the speed as they begin to move with the rest of the crowd.

The leaf ninja notices that though the Kazekage is inexperienced, he's managed to pick the skill up quickly, not to mention that he's actually rather good at this. His movements, once clumsy and unsure, have quickly become graceful like the rest of the man. It seems like it's embedded into that red head's very being; everything he does has an air of elegance and calculation amongst it.

"For your first dance, you are doing very well!" Lee exclaims and tries to make a point of the red head's success, but Gaara only sneers at him, "It is easy, is it not?" He doesn't receive an answer, just some sort of annoyed snort to remind the taijutsu master to keep his mouth shut.

That weird charm that smothers Gaara, the very thing that Lee himself lacks so greatly – he guesses it must be enticing on the man before him, even if he's just a tad jealous of the Kazekage. Or else dancing wouldn't have become so difficult, especially now that he has to keep his eyes off those alluring blue depths of the Kazekage's.

Oh, those eyes, just begging for attention. How could Lee be so cruel to refuse him his? He has no idea why he's so compelled to stare into their lovely depths, but the leaf ninja is sure that if he continues gazing at those gorgeous distractions, he'll only end up tripping over his own legs. It's too bad Gaara isn't looking up, eyes focused on his own movements. The poor man is too afraid to make even the smallest of mistakes; Lee wishes he'd put that much effort into conversation.

"If you rely on muscle memory, it will be easier. Trust me," The leaf ninja offers quietly and the Kazekage finally looks up, giving Lee the glimpse of those gorgeous eyes he's been waiting for. Gaara nods in understanding and his movements become more natural, while the taijutsu master returns all the stares the red head has given him today.

Though his eyes are now directed elsewhere from his feet, the red head seems to still refuse to pay attention to Lee. To the leaf ninja, it's painfully obvious, as the Kazekage now stares off into the crowd beyond the dance floor. Then Lee realizes that he's searching for someone, eyes scanning the room frantically, for his siblings, to be precise.

Those two mean quite a lot to Gaara; they are his siblings after all. If they disapprove of his actions, then the sand ninja almost always ends up agreeing with them, though usually reluctantly. In this case, he'd never dance with Lee again, that much is certain. Lee admits that the red head accepting his offer had been a surprise in itself but that doesn't mean Gaara would stick by his decision, especially in the face of the embarrassment brought about by his siblings. Not when he'd been reluctant to begin with.

Optimistic as Lee is, even he accepts the possibility that Gaara too, much like Sakura, might reject him.

The taijutsu master supposes that Gaara is only that easily influenced because he's learnt by now that his siblings know best, and they're often the ones who have to answer the red head's questions, giving them a position of authority. Lee would call it an admirable respect, but the Kazekage certainly doesn't respect his siblings. At least, he doesn't act like it. It's a shame; that man is as much a freak as the taijutsu master, but at least his siblings try to help him.

But it's not as if the Kazekage doesn't have his own mind, stubborn and unpredictable as it is. The leaf ninja has had to deal with it since he met the man. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Lee likes Gaara's quirks.

The red head is especially odd, because while he grasps some things, like hatred, friendship and such, others just go straight over his head. It often leads to awkward conversations, the kind Lee is very familiar with. Beauty is just one of those concepts that Gaara hasn't even begun to understand yet. The Kazekage has no clue what aesthetics are, nor does he seem to care for them, but even without this knowledge he presumes himself undesirable. As far as Gaara has grasped, being beautiful means being all the things he's not; after all, he was once able to take lives without a care, a killer, and Lee knows the red head still thinks himself the same. To the Kazekage, there is nothing beautiful about a murderer. The leaf ninja disagrees – the most beautiful things tend to be the most dangerous, after all.

Gaara has trouble applying his concept to Lee, however.

The red head finally lets his gaze fall on the leaf ninja and sighs as he finds himself thinking about this again. The taijutsu master should be disgusting; he is a shinobi, a weapon for his village. His very body is his tool, but though blood may have been spilt on those fists of his, the young Kage is entranced by every action he makes. Their rare sparing matches have become a prime time to marvel at the leaf ninja, but this dancing thing – Lee is rather good at it too. He controls his body like Gaara controls his sand, precisely, but the way he can twist his body, the subtle movements and the obvious ones, things so trivial, mesmerize the Kazekage. Not to mention that Lee is a Jōnin now; his hands must have taken a life. Even so, Gaara cannot comprehend this man, so outgoing and naïve, ever doing so. To such an extent that the red head refuses to believe it possible.

"I will be leaving in four days…" The leaf ninja informs the red head through the silence, and Gaara is brought out of his thoughts, noticing the disheartened frown that has formed on the man's lips straightaway. It's such a sudden thing to say, but Lee's thoughts seem to work that way, from what the red head has observed.

"Tomorrow…" Gaara corrects matter-of-factly, noting the confusion in his friend's large eyes, before continuing with an apologetic smile, "Hokage-dono informed me that she is leaving immediately after her speech tomorrow. She seemed pretty adamant about her decision." Lee nods in understanding as his brow furrows and a determined look enters his eyes. The red head realizes that he likes that look, as a small smile cracks on the leaf ninja's lips – it looks good on Lee, actually.

"She will not be leaving!" The taijutsu master states firmly and his eyes sparkle with a mischievous glint, "Do not worry, Kazekage-sama! She has important business to do here, and I will make sure she does it! See, if I refuse to leave, she surely cannot!" The leaf ninja thinks he has the perfect plan, but the red head only snickers under his breath.

"She wouldn't hesitate to leave you here, Lee-san…" Gaara murmurs and he really doesn't like having to bring Lee down to reality, however fun it is to watch his expression suddenly drop. The leaf ninja sighs and the Kazekage guesses that he must know what she is like too, seeing as he usually tends to stick to his half-brained schemes no matter how idiotic. Usually, reason would not have reached his ears so easily.

"Maybe she would…" Lee admits, more to himself than to anyone else, "But I don't want to leave yet. I mean, I have not even had a chance to sight-see!" His voice suddenly gets louder, as if outraged by the threat to his visit. Not like this was ever meant to be some sort of vacation.

"And maybe I could show you around tomorrow…" Gaara offers with a gentle smile and Lee nods to his words in agreement, "If you want me to, of course…" Not that there's much to see in a desert anyway, but the leaf ninja is easily amused and the red head's sure he can find something to entertain his friend.

"That would be very kind of you, Kazekage-sama!" The leaf ninja exclaims, a bright grin tugging at his lips, but soon enough he sighs, "But we both know Tsunade-sama will make me leave with her…. She plays dirty, after all…"

The silence from earlier returns, but this time it's much more pleasant. Certainly preferable to the awkward hush that had come over them before and the sand ninja, who has his gaze fixed on Lee intently, lets a small smile twist his expression. They lock gazes, staring at each other for a while, but eventually the sand ninja breaks it and shyly averts his gaze to his feet. Lee frowns at this; either Gaara has something to say, or he finds his feet more fascinating than the leaf ninja.

"The Haruno…" Gaara breaths softly and Lee knows the later is not true when he interrupts the surrounding silence, though his voice is suddenly plagued by dismay; only when he eventually looks up does the leaf ninja see it reflected in his eyes as he hesitantly continues, "Do you really love her as much as you say?"

Gaara knows the answer, but he feels he sudden need to ask. The taijutsu master, who is at first concerned by the Kazekage's misery, now lights up, pleased at the chance to proclaim his love for the woman that hurts him so.

"Well, of course, Kazekage-sama! Sakura-chan is my lovely cherry blossom!" Lee declares his affections proudly and the passionate fire that ignites in his eyes makes the red head's heart sink.

"But she doesn't love you, does she?" The young leader adds, and the other's misfortune, which usually pleases the red head, causes a frown to make its way to the Kazekage's lips so that their expressions match. That woman is a fruitless pursuit, yet Lee is so smitten with her. Gaara pities him.

"Not yet, but soon she will realize that I am just as capable a lover as the Uchiha!" Lee shouts in response, his enthusiasm an attempt to mask his anguish. All the red head can hear is nonsense; the leaf ninja has that same saddened look in his eyes from before and it doesn't match the words coming out of his mouth. It's always the same predicament with Lee though; he's been a terrible liar for as long as the red head can remember, and that's when he does try to lie. Usually he's not so dishonest.

"Lee-san, she dislikes you based on your appearance and not much more, at least, from what I have observed. I can't understand why such things matter at all…" The former demon container informs Lee, trailing off as his naivety shines through, "I think that you should know that Sakura is wrong to call you ugly." The leaf ninja only stares at him.

"You do not know much about romance do you, Kazekage-sama?" He chuckles as he asks, finding the red head's innocence amusing, "I think **you** should know that appearances are more important than you think. People are attracted to others that are beautiful. Others, who I must admit, are like you…" The Kazekage takes a while to process this information before he realizes exactly what his friend has said, but when he does, his footwork comes to a slow.

Lee considers him beautiful. That makes Gaara relatively happy, though he'd never admit it, and a small smile forms on his lips.

On the other hand, the very same man thinks of himself as quite the opposite and that visibly worries the red head, his smile suddenly turning into another frown, his bare brow furrowing as he stares at the leaf ninja skeptically.

The conversation somehow manages to end on a sour note and the two return to dancing in silence. This time, however, there is a distinct unease in the air and their gazes refuse to meet. Instead, the Kazekage shifts his gaze to his feet in a purposeful act of defiance.

In his quick refusal to grant Lee even so much as a glance, Gaara doesn't notice when the leaf ninja takes to eyeing him intensely. For just a moment, Lee is utterly and unashamedly enthralled by the red head. When he realizes that his stare has become increasingly obvious, the taijutsu master furrows his brow. There is something about the sand ninja that has caught his eye and he can't put his finger on it, even so, Lee swiftly looks away before the Kazekage becomes aware of his sudden interest

"I mean it…" Lee whispers, breaking free of the smothering silence that hangs between them, but his addition is awkwardly belated and when Gaara looks up his stare is littered with question, "You are a very beautiful man…" At that, the red head seems to understand, but all it earns the leaf ninja is an unamused scowl, a reaction Lee had expected. But, when he meets Gaara's gaze, the taijutsu master swears his mint orbs soften for a split second. The young leader sighs, his harsh frown fading into something less severe.

"How?" It's more a statement than a question. Lee understands how Gaara feels, the skepticism reflected in his stare, and how hostile he is when it comes to compliments and the like, but he is glad the sand ninja is at least offering some sort of response, a chance for the leaf ninja to prove how beautiful the red head is. While Lee was expecting to be questioned -Gaara's no longer a naïve child and he's developed a penchant for torturing the leaf ninja- that doesn't mean he has an answer.

"Well…" The leaf ninja trails off in thought, the critical stare directed his way a reminder of the need to be careful with his words, "Beauty is something very hard to explain and you know I am not very good at explaining, Gaara…. But! While I have never given much thought to this before, I guess there are a lot of things that make you beautiful. Your rare smiles, your kind-heartedness, and not to mention those lovely eyes of yours. Eyes are windows to the soul, are they not?"

"You are forgetting that I am not a house," Gaara has to remind the leaf ninja, and a frown stains Lee's usually happy expression; it seems the red head is rather particular when it comes to metaphors.

"Yes, yes, you are right…" Lee mumbles as he gives the problem some thought, before a grin lights up his face once more, "You are much more than a mere house. You are a temple."

Gaara just blinks and that same blank look returns as his gaze returns to its natural state, a harsh glare. Even corny lines don't seem to make that red head budge, but he seems to have caught on, now hiding the very thing the leaf ninja admires behind a mask of menace. But the leaf ninja also happens to admire something the red head can't hide from him and before he can even think about the consequences, Lee makes sure the Kazekage is fully aware of his interest in a certain body part,

"Let me be the first to say that you have a very… uh… youthful behind…?" The leaf ninja starts of strong, his voice confident before his words quickly become a nervous wreck of loosely attached syllables, "And, my god, you are hot…" Lee lets his gaze trail down Gaara's body eagerly and though the red head notices, he doesn't seem to object, nor does he understand the context of what the other man is saying and why he's looking at him so hungrily, so it isn't a good sign at all.

"That would be the desert, Lee-san…" The sand ninja replies to the only part of Lee's words that make any sense; the rest of his ramblings are an anomaly to Gaara, until his brain finally manages to register what part of the leaf ninja's speech he had caught, "Wait… Are you making comments about my rear-end?" He's extremely blunt and that surprises the taijutsu master who only now realizes what he's done.

"Oh… No… I am not…" The leaf ninja mutters weakly, reddened cheeks and guilt written all over his face, and impulsively he bows his head in apology, "Iamsosorrygaarapleasedonotkillme!" Gaara raises an eyebrow at the flustered man and even through his confusion finds the sight to be rather amusing.

"No, you were…" The sand ninja trails off, brow furrowed for a moment in thought, "Why?"

"I like your butt," Lee is straight to the point; he has nothing to lose considering that the red head is going to kill him anyway. However, instead of suffocating him with sand, Gaara blushes faintly, his stare shifting away out of embarrassment as he smiles awkwardly. Now understanding the comments, he seems to like them, but he swiftly regains his stoic composure and his stare harshens.

He takes a breath before he settles on the right words.

"Saying crude things will get you nowhere," Gaara states as he stares Lee dead in the eyes, suddenly indignant as he makes it very clear that he is not impressed, but the leaf ninja is skeptical, "I prefer a softer touch. Not that you have any interest in me in the first place, so if you'd please stop looking at me like a piece of meat I would appreciate that." Lee knows how obvious he has been, preferring to stare at the sand ninja's body than his face, but he finds the red head's sudden change in attitude to be rather interesting.

"Are you trying to give me a hint?" The leaf ninja is suddenly suspicious and he realizes what's going on, smug grin and all, "_Oh_… do you…?" He asks hesitantly, "You know…?" Lee stops and huge smile overcomes him almost instantly, "That is so **cute**! You are even blushing!" The sudden squeal surprises the red head, who narrows his gaze at the gushing taijutsu master's choice of words, but he's blushing all the same.

"No…" The Kazekage utters carefully and he is quick to deny the accusations, "No, no, no… I do **not**… and I am certainly not blushing!" Of course, the evidence is right on his face, staining his cheeks a faint pink.

"Oh yes, yes, yes!" Lee is overjoyed, more than anyone should be, and he isn't afraid to make this known, "How sweet! Is this why you have been so nice to me, Gaara-kun?" Nice is a stretch, a big one at that considering the red head isn't remotely pleasant to anyone, but the taijutsu master can't deny the special treatment he gets from the red head. Or at least, how tolerant he is when it comes to Lee, who rightfully should be dead by now considering the idiotic things he's said to Gaara that would usually earn a sand coffin-ing from anyone else.

"Lee… just stop," Gaara orders firmly, and so he does, dancing even, but that silly grin persists, "And **don't** give me that smile. I am in no way sweet, and I have certainly not been ni-" The Kazekage is cut off mid-word by the overly excited leaf ninja, who just can't contain himself.

"The mighty Kazekage has a crush on me and he refuses to admit it! Aww…" Lee coos and the comments make the red head fidget awkwardly, but not as much as he does when the leaf ninja leans closer and rests his bandaged palms against his cheeks, bending down and forcing Gaara to meet his gaze, "You are just adorable, you know that!"

"Absolutely not…" He grumbles, averting his gaze defiantly, "I have no idea where you got such a silly idea from but I **do not** like you. You're annoying and loud." Gaara knows he shouldn't be so harsh and, the moment the words leave him mouth, feels sorry, but he doesn't take them back. Of course, the taijutsu master just ignores him anyway.

"I've never been you blush before until today, you know…" Lee smiles as he speaks, as if teasing the Kazekage, "You are utterly embarrassed, so if you do not like me, can you tell me why that is so?" It seems the leaf ninja isn't as stupid as he looks. It must all be some sort of ruse; Gaara knew no one could be that idiotic.

"Anyone would be embarrassed by you…" The sand ninja spits viciously and he snarls under his breath, but Lee notes how he doesn't openly express his anger, applying some restraint, "Lee-san… back off before I make you…" Of course, the threat is still valid.

All the red head wants is for that annoying leaf ninja to stop **smiling** at him.

"So hostile…" Lee mumbles, shaking his head in disappointment as a pout forms on his lips, some sort of plea, Gaara supposes, "You like me, so when you stop denying it, I will stop annoying you. Hiding your feelings just makes you cuter, you know!" The red head only glares, utterly unamused. Since when did Lee feel it appropriate to call him cute?

"Shut u-" A finger is pressed against the red head's lips and soon replaced with lips.

Gaara stills. He doesn't push away, even though it's his first reaction and the red head's instincts are going haywire. Sand hisses menacingly, but still he doesn't push away, nor does Lee waver. Instead, he is frozen in shock.

Lee is kissing him. Kissing _him_.

It's an odd sensation, and as lips push against his own tenderly, the sand ninja isn't sure what to think. A part of him wants to enjoy the kiss, admiring the leaf ninja's foolish bravery, but another wants to pull away, though no matter how hard he tries to push against the leaf ninja, his body refuses to listen. It must enjoy being in such a compromising position and it certainly makes sure that Lee is aware as a sound escapes the red head's lips that, oddly enough, resembles a moan.

Lee takes it as a signal to deepen the kiss and his hands fall from Gaara's face. He also uses it as a chance to begin feeling up the sand ninja, those same hands beginning to caress his backside. The red head gasps, finally managing to pull away, before the leaf ninja traps him in another embrace. This time the kiss is much more passionate and, against the red head's soft satin lips, a sensation that surprises the leaf ninja, he can feel Gaara melt. The Kazekage lets his arms embrace the taijutsu master's waist, and with a soft whimper, lids his eyes, only for Lee to pull away.

Gaara frowns. Why does that stupid leaf ninja have to ruin everything?

The red head looks up at the man supporting him with a questioning gaze and notes how anxious he seems. The Kazekage has an inherent suspicion of why that might be, but he ignores it for just a moment. He has better things on him mind.

"Do that again…" Gaara orders, but Lee isn't paying any attention to him, instead making the mistake of looking elsewhere immediately after kissing the red head. The sand ninja huffs; it isn't like that man to be rude, intentionally or not, but when he is, the young leader must admit it effects him, even if just slightly, and it quite honestly hurts.

Of course, he takes that back when he notices the approaching storm.

Namely, Temari.

Lee is visibly uncomfortable and, through the piercing gazes of stranger's, he can see the red head's sister steadily getting closer. She's certainly mad, and while Gaara doesn't understand why, the leaf ninja is suddenly frozen in fear. To him, even the sudden interest from the crowd is nothing in comparison to the oldest sand sibling's wrath, though Lee does have to wonder if the villager's from the sand have ever seen a kiss before considering how intense their stares are getting. Instantly, the leaf ninja retracts his arms and distances himself from the Kazekage. If he could, he'd hide behind the red head, but he is a braver man than that.

"Uh… Gaara…?" The taijutsu master asks nervously, his eyes darting back and forth between the two siblings, before he whispers his next words in complete and utter fear, "Is she going to kill me…?" The sand ninja gives the question some thought, and even that seems to frighten Lee out of his whits.

"Yes," He eventually answers.


	4. Cute

**-Chapter 4: Cute-**

**Chapter Rating: **T  
**Published: **5th August 2014  
**Last Updated: **-

* * *

Gaara straightens his formal white robes, the fabric all a mess and beginning to bunch up in places it shouldn't, thanks to Lee's desperate hands, as if that might help. If he's to judge the situation just from the look Lee is sending him -one of sheer horror- then, in the face of his sister's rage, appearing respectable isn't about to make her forget what had just happened. And it doesn't – she's still coming full force.

As bad as he feels for the leaf ninja, finally being able to think about what had happened gives the red head's thoughts some clarity, and to be honest, he really does hope Temari leaves a mark on that man. Lee needs to be punished for his disrespect and he deserves nothing less than a few bruises.

After all, that man had the nerve to kiss **him**, the Kazekage, in a room full of not just his own subjects, but representatives from other nations. No doubt the other Kage will hear word of this -rumours spread fast- but what will result, the sand ninja can only guess. Not that any blame rests on Lee for that part. Relationships between two men may not be commonplace, instead, looked upon with disgust, but his leadership is in no way affected by who he kisses, nor who kisses him.

Though, Gaara does have to admit that had Lee been more subtle… perhaps had he kissed the red head in private… the situation would be much different. Not to mention, they'd probably still be kissing.

No, the Kazekage **knows** that he wouldn't be the least annoyed with the leaf ninja if he hadn't embarrassed him so profusely. After all, Gaara's been waiting for that man to make a move for quite some time. But here? The Kazekage supposes that he set this situation up, tried to gain the taijutsu master's attention with sugar coated words and fluttering eyelashes, but he never thought that Lee would respond to that, or whatever he did to earn that kiss. Not when he'd been so oblivious before, ignoring his hints since… whenever this sick fascination began.

"Don't worry…" The red head eventually gives in and send the leaf ninja a concerned gaze, "I won't let her lay a single hand on you…" Gaara's not sure what he can do to stop his sister, especially when she sets her mind to something, but at the very least the lies give Lee some hope.

In an instant, the blond is standing before the two and, with a huff and an irritated scowl painted on her face, Gaara now understands Lee's fear. Up close, Temari is scary. Of course, he's completely unfazed by her anger, having seen it many times before, but the man besides him is shaking where he stands, a rare sight that amuses the red head.

Who would have thought that Lee could be intimidated so easily? Gaara wonders how the man would react to his own fury.

"T-temari-san!" The leaf ninja stammers, and the red head finds his fumbling amusing as he tries to spit out a coherent sentence, "It… It is not what you think!" That amusement slips away quickly as the Kazekage hears Lee's words, and he instantly sends the leaf ninja a dejected stare and Lee suddenly freezes up, "Gaara… No… I… amsosorry!"

"Bullshit," Temari's voice is firm and the anger burning in her eyes make it very clear that she is fully prepared to rip the leaf ninja's throat out before he can lie again; not to mention that her brother's expression isn't helping, "Do you have any idea what you just did! You kissed the **Kazekage**. Everyone is staring and heaven knows what they'll say about this! Not to mention, what the hell are** you** doing kissing my brother!?" Gaara stops glaring at Lee and instead directs his malice towards his sister.

"I like Lee-san," Gaara is blunt and he speaks simply so his sister fully understands, before he crosses his arms over his chest and lets his frown dissipate, a staunch expression replacing it, "I've no concern about what others will say about us, none of it matters, and to be honest, nor do I care what **you** have to say about Lee."

"But the other villages will care…" The blond spits, her brow furrowed in frustration, "While you're Kazekage, your actions reflect on the village. If this gets out, and it will, do you think anyone will take you seriously?"

"Well, that's their problem, of which I doubt it's the only. They'll take me seriously when I destroy them," Gaara is calm and rather proud of his claims, but he's angry at his sister nonetheless, "I don't understand why a few rumours about my sexuality should define my leadership. If someone makes the mistake of underestimating me, they'll learn the hard way that they were wrong. I'm used to having to prove myself and being damned, why would this be any different?"

While Gaara understands his sister's concern, he had to admit that it gets on his nerves. He can be naïve, sure, but he's certainly more than capable of taking care of himself. Especially when it comes to Lee, because the Kazekage trusts that leaf ninja, right now more than anyone else, and despite his annoying habits, Gaara does think of him as a truly valuable friend. Well, more than just a friend.

The young Kage isn't exactly sure when the green beast had ruthlessly clawed his way into his barren chest cavity, or when such a foreign sense of attachment had absorbed him whole, but it now seems too late to push him away. That man has infected him with this disgusting disease and Gaara has simply let it go too far, and he admits that he allowed it willingly. While he should be repulsed, the red head instead has no desire to expel Lee. In fact, he quite likes having a special place in his heart reserved for the man. A rather large part, too.

He should have known this would happen. His shameful fascination with the leaf ninja has turned to something much more. Gaara is attached to Lee and, as he has discovered, he is rather possessive of those he cares for; so few real attachments would make anyone this way. But of course, the former Jinchūriki isn't capable of loving, but this is the closest he will ever to get to love - real love too, not just a lie - and though he steers clear of the word, he knows how deep his feelings really reach.

"You're just lucky the councilmen are drunk…" The blond replies in a stern and reprimanding tone, "And you…" Suddenly she directs that severity onto Lee with an irritated glare, "Take care of my brother and… and you two had better leave. I'll take care of this mess."

"O-of course!" The leaf ninja falters as the Kunoichi turns her back on the duo, and the moment she is out of sight he lets out a loud sigh of relief, even going as far as to wipe away the sweat on his brow. He isn't dead. Yet.

It takes a few moments, but the leaf ninja eventually gains the courage to speak again, and a bright smile illuminates his features as if nothing had happened.

"Gaara…?" He begins hesitantly, the first sign that something is wrong, and the red head instantly shifts his gaze to meet Lee's own, "If your sister is not going to kill me… are you…?" As frightened as the poor leaf ninja is, Gaara can't help but let a small chuckle escape past his lips. He does, however, blame himself for the man's doubts; he's always so volatile, the poor leaf ninja can't predict how he might feel anymore. Not that he'll stop any time soon.

"No, Lee-san…" The Kazekage responds as the smallest of smiles overcomes his expression, "You're going to live, trust me." He chuckles again, and the taijutsu master seems fascinated by the sound before quickly turning his attention back to the sand ninja.

"So... you enjoyed that…?" The leaf ninja begins and, though he tries to focus anywhere else, his gaze falls on Gaara's lips instantly. The red head catches where Lee's focus has drifted, before he rolls his eyes at how obvious the man is being with his intentions.

"Yes…" The change in the sand ninja is almost quick enough to miss as a pink blush blooms on his cheeks, but soon enough his gaze hardens and he's suddenly serious, "But, if you ever lay your hands on me in public again, I swear to the holy spirits of this desert that I will chop them off. Both of them."

"O-okay, Gaara…" Lee automatically clenches his fists at the very thought of losing his precious weapons and he admires how intimidating the Kazekage really can be. Compared to his sister, the red head is much more frightening. With Gaara, it's impossible to tell if he's bluffing. The leaf ninja refuses to believe his instinctive fear of the sand ninja is anything deeper.

"Relax, I was… joking, I think it is called…? I'd never…" Gaara sighs in frustration, though he is absolutely amused by the taijutsu master's reaction and manages to let yet another snicker pass from his tongue, "I do have to ask… What are your intentions, Lee? Why did you kiss me…? Unless… we're going to presume the obvious?"

"Oh…" The leaf ninja begins awkwardly, rubbing his neck nervously as he tries to come up with a better answer than the one tugging at his mind, "Ah, I love you? And your lips looked nice? Um… I do not think it was really complicated, more… impulse… and I wholeheartedly expected you to kill me…" Gaara is giving him one of those looks again, and the leaf ninja can feel the onslaught of questions already. After all, he'd just let _that_ word slip.

"How do you say that so freely…?" Gaara asks, shaking his head at the silly man before him; surprise, surprise, he's actually rather calm, "Five minutes ago you were absolutely smitten with Sakura. So, I think you have an ulterior motive, but I may be wrong. I hope I'm wrong…" Well, paint the leaf ninja surprised; is the sand ninja… flirting?

It's not that it's unappealing, no, far from it, just that Lee finds the sight of Gaara being so forward a little surprising. It's inconceivable to imagine the red head acting like this - a pointed finger pressed against his chest, slowly making its way downwards to caress Lee's firm muscles, and the hints of a playful smile on his lips – but here he is.

"But then you got all cute on me…" Lee muses, more to himself than to the red head, "Oh… well, you're both cuties, but you actually… like me? It's hard to explain, but you can take my word for it. I love you! Not that I have forgotten Sakura-san… but I can if you want to… make this official…?" The poor leaf ninja is absolutely flustered.

Lee has always had the habit of getting attached to things too quickly; it seems his impulsiveness also extends to his affections. Gaara lets a dismayed sigh escape from his lips.

"I can't…" The red head breaths and a frown twists his expression, his once disheartened tone contorting to one dripping with hints of hostility, "I've no desire to hurt you… again…" The Kazekage's gaze flicks upwards, meeting the leaf ninja's own puzzled stare, before he quickly turns away in disgrace, " I'm a very different person than what I pretend to be, Lee, and I am warning you… don't get too close to me. The people I love always end up dying because of me and… I **will not** let that happen to you, no matter how you taint my heart…"

Worry flickers in Lee's eyes and he takes a step towards the red head in an attempt to console him, only for Gaara to back away, purposely keeping the distance between them. The taijutsu master should have known things wouldn't have been as easy as he'd like; Gaara is difficult at best, but at the worst of times… a real challenge. However much he likes the prospect of that -challenges are wonderful things even if they come wrapped in an impetuous red headed bundle- Lee just never figured the Kazekage would purposely isolate himself out of… what, fear? Concern? Or is the young Kage that overwhelmed by this unfamiliar feeling plaguing his heart that it drives him away?

"No, no… You are speaking utter nonsense!" Lee exclaims as he shoves his hand towards the red head, an offering, and his eyes beg the sand ninja to take it, "You cannot… continue to push people away. Trust me, if I died, it would be for you, not because of you. And… you have nothing to be afraid of Gaara, if that is how you feel…"

"You say that like it's a good thing…" Gaara sighs and stares the leaf ninja straight in the eye, as if daring him to put that hand any closer; Lee is much more interested by the red head's lovely aqua depths, but for some reason they're much more detached and emotionless than he is used to, "I was a fool to believe I was capable of loving you…"

"If it bothers you so much, then I simply refuse to die!" The green beast swears.

One of his hands lays flat against his chest, and the look in his eyes tells the red head he's completely serious. _Idiot_.

"I love you and I will not stop loving you anytime soon, so, I am sincerely sorry, but you will have to put up with me," Lee continues, determined expression contorting his face, "I do not abandon the people I care for, no matter how insignificant the bond we share may be right now," A single tear runs down Lee's cheek and he wipes it away with a bandaged hand before more can follow, "All you have to do is take my hand, Gaara. Listen to your heart for once, instead of that silly head of yours."

Gaara stares at the leaf ninja silently, a pained expression written on his face, before he takes that hand before him roughly and, before Lee even has time to anticipate the action, embraces the green man before him. As he wraps his arms around Lee's waist, he stuffs his face in the fabric of the taijutsu master's jacket and refuses to ever look up, anxious eyes starting to water.

That stupid, stupid leaf ninja and his stupid, stupid mushy words. Why on earth does that man have to be so… so ignorant? The Kazekage hates Lee and his naïve nature, but at the same time he loves him and that annoying persistence of his.

"You idiot…" Gaara mumbles through Lee's chest, tears littering his eyes, "I'm only going to hurt you and you don't even care. I knew you wouldn't…" The red head squeezes tighter and the taijutsu master can only stare at the tearful mess before him.

"Love does things to you, Gaara…" The leaf ninja hums after a few moments, as he hugs the red head back, encircling the other man's lithe frame with his bandaged arms, "Come on, I think we should take your sister's advice and leave. Can we go to your house?"

Gaara looks up from his rather comfortable position against Lee's chest with wet eyes.

"No, you were an idiot before…" He states matter-of-factly as a smile cracks on his lips and the sand ninja finally frees the taijutsu master from his tight embrace, "But you are right, not to mention, this is how rumours start." Lee gives the Kazekage a smug grin, and the red head knows what to expect.

"But they not just rumours, are they, Gaara-kun?" The leaf ninja asks slyly and as the red head pulls away he makes sure their hands remain entwined, only to receive a skeptical gaze from the young Kage, "When will your siblings be home, Gaara-kun?"

"My absence means they will have to remain here for the entire evening…" The Kazekage answers and guilt floods him when he realizes that his siblings will be stuck here covering for him, "After the mess we made… they'll have a lot of cleaning up to do. But on the bright side, we'll have the house to ourselves. And that means we can… kiss, Lee-kun?" Gaara looks up at Lee with an expectant stare.

"Oh, good! We can watch movies! What mo-" Lee begins, before his excited smile disappears and his face suddenly drains of colour, "Oh… Or we could just kiss, yes…" He hears the red head chuckle under his breath and is surprised at the sudden shift in mood.

At the leaf ninja's sudden silence, Gaara decides to begin their departure. Pulling Lee along with him, the duo head towards the exit. The taijutsu master lets the red head tug him along, even when he realizes their moving; if he wants to, he could easily escape the red head's hold. Well, he thinks. The Kazekage has such a strong grip for such a small looking man.

Lee begins to walk by the sand ninja's side now, but, of course, Gaara's hand remains tightly gripping his own. The sounds of hushed whispers fall upon the leaf ninja's eyes and he finds himself suddenly frowning at the spiteful words he manages to hear, leaving the mouths of strangers that know nothing about him. Eventually, he voices this concern to the young man beside him.

"Gaara…?" You do not think we are disgusting, do you…? What I did…?" The leaf ninja asks, sighing as his gaze lands on the floor out of shame.

"It's not as if you can get any weirder…" Gaara hums in answer and he doesn't seem to be paying much mind to the attention they've attracted; still, he knows what his guests are saying, "Besides, I already told you, I enjoyed our kiss. Other people are irrelevant." Lee slumps.

"Are you calling me a freak…?" The taijutsu master asks as a frown stains his expression.

"I meant it endearingly…" The sand ninja responds, and in an attempt to console Lee, continues, "You're certainly a freak, but you're **my** freak." He doesn't know if what he says will have any effect, he doesn't know if anything he says comes out the way he wants, but the red head tries. However, Lee smiles back and Gaara supposes that his words must have eased his pain somewhat.

"Oi! Gaara, bushy-brows!" Comes a familiar voice.

They only manage to take a few more steps before they're stopped by a certain leaf ninja, who, from the stare he's sending the new couple, hasn't been paying attention to anything other than the plate he's holding; typical. He's looking at Gaara and Lee's joined hands with a skeptical stare, whiskered face distorted in a look of confusion, before a sly grin soon replaces it.

"Uh, I was gonna ask if I could tag along, seeing as you were leaving and all, and this party's in the dumps, but… that would just be awkward…?" The blond laughs nervously, and Gaara only glares at him, more focused on leaving and having Lee to himself, "So… when did you two become an item?" Gaara's gaze only hardens.

"Just a few seconds ago!" The taijutsu master exclaims proudly, only for the red head to groan at his enthusiasm. If Naruto hasn't realized by now, he doesn't deserve an explanation. Not to mention, that blond can't keep his mouth shut – he might be able to convince Lee to keep hush about this -though Gaara knows he'll eventually let something slip- but the Uzumaki won't hesitate to tell all of Konoha.

"Wow…" Naruto trails off in awe, "How'd you manage that?" Gaara growls and wants to rip that dumbfounded expression off his friend's face. As if it's such a task to seduce the Kazekage. He knows he can be stubborn, but has he really gotten such a reputation? It's offensive, and the usually oblivious taijutsu master seems to pick up on the sand ninja's discomfort.

"I kissed him…?" Lee answers, confusion tainting his tone, "You make it sound as if it were impossible…" Naruto crosses his arms over his chest and just shakes his head.

"Those sand kunoichi over there disagree," At that the Uzumaki points in the general direction of a group of squealing teenagers that prefer to call themselves Gaara's fan club, "Then again, you got something they don't. Sandy-pants _likes_ you." As obvious as the Kazekage's affections are at this point, his cheeks still flush with a gentle pink; he's still not used to liking someone, let alone other people making a deal out of it. Not to mention, Lee is staring at him.

"If Naruto knows… and he is stupider than I…" The leaf ninja trails off, before he continues softly in question, "How long have you liked me for, Gaara…?" Gaara is just glad that his taijutsu master isn't mad at him. He seems to know that the red head never had any intentions of declaring his feelings.

"A few weeks… months? I never realized what it was until recently…" The Kazekage answers with a displeased frown, before he looks up to meet the leaf ninja's gaze, noticing the surprise in his eyes, "I really don't care to talk about it." The last part is but a whisper from his lips.

"Y-you've had a crush on me all this time…?" Lee asks slowly and Gaara knows the reaction is justified; when had anyone else actually had a crush on the poor man, "Naruto-kun, why did you not tell me earlier!? You clearly knew…"

"Uh, bushy-brows, the red head would've killed me if I told you anything…" Naruto mutters, as if trying to hide his words from the Kazekage, "And I wasn't even sure… I mean, I suspected… but this is Gaara we're talking about, you know?" Of course the sand ninja still hears and huffs indignantly.

"Naruto, are you saying you couldn't even… fathom the idea of me liking Lee-kun?" The young Kage growls in annoyance, fed up with his friend's idiocy, "Uh, we had a discussion about this, unless you don't remember? I told you Lee was…" Gaara trails off, side eyeing the leaf ninja, "...attractive. More than that. I'm not going to repeat it to you, because I don't remember most of it myself and what I do remember is rather embarrassing."

"Oh, yeah…" The leaf ninja trails off awkwardly, "Yeah, but I thought you just had the hots for him, not… romantic feelings, you know?"

"Oh…" Lee whispers to himself, somehow having figured out what the two Jinchūriki are talking about, blushing madly as he tries to imagine what Gaara's so reluctant to say, "Gaara, do you…? Think I'm… hot?"

The red head freezes.

"Ah, yes, Lee-kun…" He murmurs softly, turning on his heels to face the taijutsu master, "Of course I do… But I think we should leave… Uh, the Uzumaki is annoying me… And, _sweetheart_, I don't like getting all flustered over this… If you want to ask me about **that**, you can do so when we are alone. I'd be glad to talk about it…" The poor sand ninja sulks and lowers his head, "I've had enough embarrassment for one day…"

Gaara storms straight past Lee, and the leaf ninja keeps his concerned gaze on the suddenly infuriated red head.

"Look what you did…" The leaf ninja mutters softly under his breath, and he quickly goes after the Kazekage. He can't just let his new boyfriend walk off, and while Lee doesn't want to lay all the blame on his friend, Naruto had said some rather inconsiderate things and had he listened to the red head's warnings, he might have still been by the taijutsu master's side. It isn't often that the Kazekage loses his cool and he's certainly hard to deal with when he does; Naruto, being his friend, should have known by now how to handle the red head.

Naruto looks dumbfounded at the duo as the taijutsu master chases after the Kazekage and while Lee knows it is rude to leave in the middle of a conversation, Gaara's feelings are more important to him than etiquette right now.

He nears the Kazekage and slows down, wrapping an arm around the shorter man's shoulders.

"Are you okay…?" Lee asks out of genuine worry, his voice calm and considered for once. Gaara tries to shrug his arm off, but to no avail. The leaf ninja isn't letting him get away that easy.

Gaara stares up at Lee, at first silent in refusal to answer, but soon, as the leaf ninja continues to stare at him with that questioning stare, he gives up and sighs. His answer is nothing more than a malicious snarl anyway.

"Remind me to never bother talking to that blond imbecile again…"

This time Gaara manages to push Lee away completely, and as the leaf ninja's arm falls back to his side, he gives the red head a concerned stare. The Kazekage notices, quickly avoiding the taijutsu master's gaze.

"I'm fine, Lee…" He mutters and no matter how much of a bad mood he's in, Gaara doesn't want the other man to worry; still, that look doesn't stop, "I used to… like Naruto. He's been a jerk about it since he found out..." The red head quiets before he continues, "Lee… I'm not hard to seduce, am I…? Is that why no one ever tries? Am I intimidating?"

"Oh," The leaf ninja murmurs, "All he does is stare at Sasuke-kun's ass. He has no reason to act like that. Maybe he is jealous of us, huh? Or, maybe, he's trying to hide something…" Lee offers and the sand ninja just stares.

"Really…? Gaara asks, "I thought he was obsessed with that Uchiha, but…" He trails off, before staring at the leaf ninja expectantly; Lee gets the idea.

"And no, I do not believe him at all. You are not in the slightest intimidating – you are far too cute to be!" Lee answers and he's not lying, "You have a habit of pushing people away, but… Naruto-kun does not deserve you in the least!" Gaara smiles back and he suddenly feels better – Lee certainly does have a way with words.

"I'm not cute…" The red head mutters defiantly, arms crossed over his chest and Lee resists the urge to snicker; he just looks cuter like that.

"If I cannot call you cute, what am I meant to call you?" Lee asks, pouting as he tries to think of alternatives already, "That is not fair…" Gaara stops walking and, facing the leaf ninja, places a hand on his shoulder.

"Too bad. No pet names, ever." He states firmly, but Lee isn't having any of that, quickly piping up with a list of replacements.

"What about baby? Sugar? Sweetheart, darling? Even just Gaa-chan will do! I need a cute name to go with that cute face of yours…" The spandex clad man practically begs the Kazekage, "If I cannot call you cute, how else can I sum up your puffy cheeks, your gorgeous smile, lovely eyes and swaying hips. You are **too** adorable to not have a pet name." He gets louder as he goes, and the sand ninja eventually growls; his hips **do not** sway, but everyone in the ballroom must mistakenly think so now.

Gaara gives in, if just to shut the leaf ninja up.

"I'm not a child, and I'm certainly not sweet, so I suppose… you may call me Gaa-chan," The Kazekage mutters reluctantly and he's annoyed that he has to even entertain the idea, "Darling and beloved are fine also. It's not like I can be more embarrassed at this point…" A blush adorns his cheeks and the read head starts walking again. Lee salutes him.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama!" He exclaims before he begins to follow the sand ninja, a lopsided grin on his lips, "And youcan call me _anything _you like, darling…"

The comment is not missed and the red head has to resist saying something snark. He ponders where that man comes up with such stupid things to say, but the red head simply goes back to ignoring him.


End file.
